Blog2:What is Game sound

Blog2:What is Game Sound

Hey everyone.Have you ever thought about the role sound plays in your favorite video games?  Let's dive into the world of game sound and discover its fascinating power.

Game sound isn't just background noise – it's a crucial part of the gaming experience.  It can warp your perception of time, reinforce your actions, and stir up all sorts of emotions and memories.  Think about it: the combination of different sounds, from low rumbles to high-pitched tones, can totally change how you feel while playing. Whether it's making you feel happy, sad, or on the edge of your seat with tension, game sound is a game-changer.

Take something as simple as the sound of a door opening.  Depending on how it's done, it can completely shift the mood of a scene.  Picture this: a door creaks open accompanied by a gentle wind chime – suddenly, you're feeling all warm and fuzzy.  But swap that for a rusty old door screeching open with eerie whispers, and you're in for a spine-chilling experience.

So, why is sound design so important in games?  Well, it's all about enhancing your gaming experience.  Sound designers have three main goals:

Giving you gameplay cues: Sound design makes it clear what's happening in the game, like if you've been spotted by an enemy:

Or if your ability is ready to use:

Or if there is damage being dealt to you:

Creating emotions: Sound design pulls you into the game's world, setting the tone for the atmosphere.  Whether it's the tense sounds of "Outlast 2" or the immersive engine noises in "Project CARS 2," sound can make or break the experience.

In addition to all of this, another interesting thing about game audio is that different type of games have different focus on game sound. 

For example, secondary pixel style games, such as the very classic Super Mario, will usually have a pixelated graphical style, so the sound design will usually emphasise simplicity and clarity, and will use simple 8-bit or 16-bit audio styles, such as square waves, jagged waves, etc., as well as sound effects similar to those found in classic consoles, such as jumping noises, and collecting items.

And action-adventure games such as The Legend of Zelda. These games usually have intense combat and action scenes, and the sound design will emphasise the sense of dynamics and battle atmosphere. The sound effects will be more rich and diverse, including the sound of weapon engagement, explosions, character injuries, etc., in order to enhance the sense of tension and excitement of the game.

And the sound design of survival horror games usually emphasises the horror atmosphere and tension. For example, Eyes: The Horror Game uses a lot of ambient sound effects, such as footsteps in the dark, wind, door creaks, and monster breathing, to create a realistic horror atmosphere. Interestingly, the game conveys the distance between the player and the monster through the distance and direction of the sound effects, thus increasing the tension and excitement of the game.

There are also speed racing games, which are usually based on the theme of racing, and the sound design will emphasise the sense of speed and passion. The sound effects will include engine roar, vehicle collision sound, tyre rubbing sound and so on. For example, the Need for Speed.

Thanks for reading this blog, in this blog we talked about what is game sound. Next blog I will talk about why I choose PureData as the software for game sound toolkit designing.